Thursday 7 February 2013

Features Of A World Heritage Site - Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a oldest and busiest railway station in India, which is located on D. N. Road, Mumbai. CST was earlier known by the name Victoria Terminus, and is one of the historic structures in city, which forms a very important part of Mumbai Subarban Railway. CST is also the headquarters of Central Railways of country. Local trains as well as long distance trains both operates to and from this terminus.


Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus has been declared as a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee od UNESCO, in 2004. It was built in a Venetian Gothic Style of architecture, which dates back to the year 1888. This architectural style also reflects the influence of traditional Indian architecture. The interior structure of this terminus is decorated with wood carving, ornamental iron, tiles and brass railings. 


All the beautification mentioned above were done by the students of Bombay School Of Art. Frederick William Stevens, is a consulting architect who have designed the entire structure of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. For this enormous structure he charged a fee of 16.14 lakh rupees. This construction work work took around 10 years to fully complete the task. The name 'Victoria Terminus', has been given in the honor of 'Queen Victoria'. But this name was remain only for one year, because in 1996 the name of this terminus has been changed to 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus', which is derived from the name of Shivaji – King of Maratha Empire. 


The beautiful central dome, pointed arches, unconventional floor and soaring towers make this terminus a must-visit destination in Mumbai. It's architecture makes it look like a traditional Indian palace. This terminus also plays an important role in the history of Indian Railways. This is the only terminus which saw for first time the Steam Engine flagged off in country, which made a journey from Mumbai to Thane and served as a significant landmark of past. Due to all such features CST become a tourist destination and also a best way of transportation in Mumbai. Therefore, most of the travelers prefer to stay in a good and comfortable Hotels Near CST Station, so that they can easily catch the trains and also many other tourist destinations in Mumbai.

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